Investigation 1104 "Air Rights of Way / Audi Urban Future Initiative"

Air Rights-of-Way, an urban infrastructure proposal for the future of Manhattan, suggests that urban growth is inherently tied to localized energy production. Created for the Audi Urban Future Initiative and presenting in conjunction with the New Museum Festival of Ideas, the project envisions a city where maxed-out built conditions are expanded through strategic zoning innovations that focus on energy.

Rather than a static set of rules, the project proposes an adaptive zoning code that allows building envelopes to fluctuate over time. This regulatory framework is driven by a logic of architectural phototropism, where the form of the city is scripted to evolve based on its need for light. By allowing structures to grow or shift in response to solar access, these adaptive rules encourage targeted building interventions—integrating biological and technical systems that support the city’s metabolism.

The proposal identifies the interstitial space between existing rooftops and maximum building envelopes as a site for productivity. By installing greenhouses, algae gardens, and photovoltaic arrays, buildings become active participants in a closed loop of energy and water collection. These geometries are not arbitrary; they are defined by the city’s changing needs for light and energy efficiency. The result is a “living-machine” city where buildings, citizens, and transportation are continuously sustained by a new rhythm of energy-productive infrastructure.